you were so far away
by rotti
Summary: Maka&SoulAU.She was the prostitute, whose freedom was stolen. He was the boy who gave her the courage to break free.


Inspired by a scene I read in **q&a** (**Slumdog Millionaire**), it's when Ram first meets Nita.

and yeah, I know the movie is nothing like the book, but they're both amazing in their own ways.

**Disclaimer: **We go through this all the time. Soul Eater not mine, it's Atsushi Okubo's. The lyrics all go to Kate Nash. Happy now?

* * *

**you were so far away**

_His leg twitches, he looks up_  
_ Which one will he fuck_  
_ Takes her by the hand and smiles_  
_ You are mine tonight_  
_ Forget about the smell_  
_ Leave yourself behind_  
_ There is something in the air_  
_ That reminds you of your life_.

~.~

Olive green eyes focus on the cracks in the ceiling, trying her best to block out the sight of the man on top of her. His body reeks of sweat and cheap liquor-a smell that lingers around all the vile men who sought out her company.

It is a few more minutes before the man is through with her. His hefty body gives away and within a few seconds he is asleep. Her arms push him away, freeing herself from him. The digital clock on the nightstand informs her that her customer has twenty minutes left with her. She'll have to use that time to shower and get herself ready before Gopher, her pimp's errand boy, comes to get her.

She gets in the shower, turns the knob to almost scalding. With the motel provided soap bar she scrubs the scent of sex and alcohol away from her skin. Washes away his touches and groans. Cleansing herself of him completely.

With her shower complete she towels herself dry, catching her reflection in the mirror. Tired green eyes stare right back at her through the steam; dark circles emerge with her make up gone. Ash blond hair falls down to her shoulders looking dull dripping droplets on her peach skin.

She wasn't always like this. Once upon a time she was a naive thirteen year old girl with a loving mama and an adoring idiotic papa. And now here she is five years later, a worn out prostitute broken down into tiny little pieces with no one to put her back together.

~.~

Gopher drives her back to her home/hell/brothel where she will be punished by Noah-sama for her lack of profit. There are a few other girls who work for Noah-sama, and out of all them, she is the one who makes the least. She is not beautiful like Liz or as flirtatious to draw in the wealthy who dress her in expensive dresses and shining jewels, bringing her along to their parties held in extravagant mansions. She lacks Tsubaki's grace and tolerance-she can withstand the pigheadedness of the men, no matter how crude or aggravating they might get. Her body isn't developed like Patti's and her personality is not as carefree, where the married men can go to escape nagging wives and family problems.

Instead she is the one wanted by a handful of men who hunger for a child's body, and she with her wide emerald orbs and skinny barely developed body is the closet they can get. However, the desires of her sick men are not enough to please the man who owns her.

The car screeches to a halt, in front of the three story apartment building. A light shines in Noah-sama's room. Her heart is a nervous wreck at the sight of it. She will go hungry tonight.

~.~

The knocking on her door jerks her awake. A feminine figure steps in the room, a glass of water and pills in her hand. She rubs the sleep out of her eyes and finds Tsubaki sitting on the edge of her bed. She sits up ignoring the pains in her body. Her back aches, and she's positive that it's colored in blacks and blues thanks to the beating Gopher carried out.

Tsubaki hands her the painkillers, which she pops into her mouth drowning them with the water. "Thanks."

Tsubaki nods, violet eyes full of concern. "You haven't eaten yet have you?" She stands from her seat on the mattress. "I'll bring you something right away."

She shakes her head in protest. "If you do that, he'll get angry. I can't have you get in trouble for my sake."

"But Maka-"

"I'll be fine." Maka reassures her. "The customers will be here soon, I'll just have to work harder to avoid Noah-sama tonight."

Tsubaki sighs in defeat; her compromising nature rarely allows an argument.

~.~

Her first customer is a boy about her age. He looks a bit startled, gleaming blood red eyes expand a bit-maybe because a boy who she assumes is his friend pushed him in. She doesn't know what to do exactly. He is not like her other visitors-there is no pushing her on to the bed/wall/floor eager to get inside her-no impatient fingers tearing away her clothes leaving her bare and broken-there is only silence.

He doesn't budge from his place near the door and she makes no attempt to get up from her seat on the mattress. Eventually he clears his throat and speaks, "I'm just waiting for a friend." he explains as if it was completely normal to pay for a whore just to wait around until his friend was finished with his own business.

She nods, not sure of what else to do. She had never been in a situation like this-one where she sits untouched and the man of the hour is the one shifting uncomfortably in his place.

She studies the boy with his wild snow white hair and ruby orbs that sneak glances to the door every few seconds, praying for his friend to show up. He is dressed much better then the usual scum that visit her-designer jeans, a black brand named tee with no stains that fit him perfectly, and a pair of sneakers that were not caked with dirt. He reminds her of the men that visit Liz, although this boy does not seem as arrogant.

"You can sit here, if you'd like." She pats to the seat next to her on the bed. She is just as startled as he is at her invitation. She in all her years of slaving at this terrible place, had never suggested for a man to come near her, quiet the opposite in fact. She has always been a man hater-growing up with a cheating father, and being forced to sleep with any man Noah-sama pushed on her led her to that. But this boy, is different. Maybe it's the way he doesn't come on to her, or how he looks at her acknowledging her as a human being, not an unworthy whore.

The boy steals another glance at the doorway, and eventually realizes that his friend isn't finishing up any time soon. He makes his way to her and seats himself beside her, leaving a few inches between them.

"Nice place you got here." He comments, giving her small bedroom a once over. It's a sparsely furnished room, just a queen sized bed, a closet, and a small dresser decorated with a lamp and digital clock.

"You've never been to a brothel before have you?" She asks him, even though she already knows the answer. All first timers try and make conversation with her, although it ends up making their stay here more awkward.

"Nah, it's not really my style." He replies, his tone nonchalance.

"Yeah I figured." A boy with his looks could get any woman he wants, no need to fill his needs with a low class girl like herself.

The silence returns after that. It lasts for a few more awkward minutes, before fists start rapping against her door, an unfamiliar voice shouts for the boy to hurry, "If you aren't done screwing around by now, I the great Black*Star shall leave you here with no ride."

The boy sighs in annoyance, "You idiot we came in my car." His friend, doesn't bother commenting, his shouts die down as he walks away from her doorway.

The boy runs a hand though his white spikes, and grins in her direction. "Well, I should get going."

He gets up from the bed and just stands for a moment or two, contemplating whether to say something.

Finally words fall from his mouth,"I'm Soul,Soul Eater Evans."

He introduces and holds out his hand for her to wants to laugh at the absurdity of this, a boy with his status acknowledging a whore like her with a hand shake.

"Maka"She says, handing out her own hand to him, his grip is firm, but not like those men who feel the need to break her fingers with one shake.

He breaks their contact and flashes another grin, "See you around then, Maka" Soul opens the door and is gone in a blink of an eye. She feels more alone then ever.

~.~

Soul visits her a few more times after that, sometimes his friend tags along, and other times he's soon a routine starts, he comes in once a week, takes his spot next to her on the bed, and starts up another conversation with her. At first it is polite, full of _nicetoseeyous_ and _howareyours_. Pretty soon the relationship grows, she finds herself opening up to him, telling him stories of her past life. Like how mama would always send her postcards from her business trips, no matter where she went. Or how papa always read to her when she was younger-stories full of princesses and knights in shining armor that always began with onceauponatime and ended with happilyeverafters.

And while she rambles on and on about her parents, Soul is always right beside her, laying down on the bed hands crossed behind his head, listening to every word. With him it's easy to forget, she can pretend to be a normal girl just talking and laughing with him, her new best friend.

He becomes the sun she looks forward to on rainy days.

~.~

"You don't belong here, Maka." He points out on one of their many is taken back by the comment , but tries not to show it on her face.

She shakes her blond head, pigtails swinging. "I don't. She doesn't belong here, but there is nothing she can do about that.

"How did you end up here then?" He asks out of curiosity, not because he cares, no one ever cares.

"I got lost, took a few wrong turns, and now here I am." She replies, playing it off as casual. She stops herself from explaining to him how she had really gotten herself in this nightmare. How five years ago her life was perfect, top of her class with a loving family-the same loving family that decided to rip themselves apart with divorce, driving her to leave the house in tears. With her mind filled with memories of mama and papa holding on to her during Christmas/Birthday/Family Vacation, and heart breaking she had wandered the streets aimlessly, until she couldn't figure out where she was any more.

The street names didn't ring any bells in her brain, and the streets were stripped away of their people. But he was there Noah-standing under a lone street lamp, a lit cigarette hanging from his lips. And her stupid idiotic naive self walks straight up to him, and asks for directions back to her little home hoping mama and papa have made up while she was gone.

She remembers the grin he flashed her, as if he was a hunter whose prey walked willingly into his trap. And how he promised to drive her home, and she believed him with all her heart, after all she was just a sheltered little girl who was taught bad things happen to bad people, not innocent souls like her.

And now here she is,trapped in this life out of her own naivety, offering sex to men who don't give a damn about what happens to her.

"If I were you I'd leave."He says as if it's that easy to walk right out of this place and never return. She's angry with Soul for even suggesting that, she is not him, overconfident and sheltered from this bad life. She can't bring herself to escape, escaping from this hell means death, and she is too scared to die.

"If I try he'll kill me." She whispers her peach hands gripping the sheets around her. Noah-sama will do more then that, he will break her mentally and physically before he takes pity and ends her pathetic life.

"He already did. Look at you Maka, you're stuck here fucking men. You don't even bother fighting, all you do is nod your little head and listen to whatever that guy tells you." Soul states. She's shocked at the truth in his words. She isn't doing a thing to counter against Noah-sama. But what can she do? Any attempt will lead to her death.

"Do you really think it's that easy?"She asks, her voice hints anger, her knuckles turn from peach to white as her grip tightens. "That if I shake my head and say no, he'll let me go?"

"Easy or not, you're not even trying to leave. You lay around waiting for the day this guy gets sick of you and lets you go."

"So what? At least I'm** alive**!" Her voice begins to crack, angry tears cloud her eyes.

"Yeah, but what are you living for?" His question hangs in the air, what is she living for? what does she have going for her? She wants to say to see her mama and papa, or even herself.

She opens her mouth to speak, to prove to him that she is alive for a reason, but nothing comes out.

Soul hands her a smile tinged with sadness, "When you figure it out, let me know."

The sound of the door closing shatters her heart.

~.~

It's weeks before he visits her again. She understands the reason for his absence, he was angry with her for being so pathetic and cowardly. For getting every morning and surrendering instead of fighting back. For walking around with no purpose, slowly forgetting what it feels like to be alive. But now, as he makes his way inside her bedroom, she thinks she might have found her purpose.

She meets him half way and places a chaste kiss on his lips. "I'm living for you."

Soul's crimson orbs widen a bit and then a smile draws itself on his lips. "Then fight."

~.~

For the first time she fights. She no longer dresses up for the customers-her face is naked, no gloss shining her pale lips, no mascara bringing notice to her heavy lashes. There are no more fake moans that allow the men to believe they can cause her such great pleasure.

She becomes a doll around them, laying on the bed all lifeless. Yet at the same time she feels liberated, her spirit grows stronger and the light in her eyes shines even brighter.

And when she is with Soul, sleeping on her bed with his hands wrapped around her tiny waist, laying her head on his bare chest, she is almost happy. Her only restraint from being truly content is the fact that she is still trapped working for Noah-sama. Her heart aches to be free, to be a part of Soul's world, his real world, not his visits to see her. She wants to listen to him play the piano, watch movies with him, let him take her to bookstores (even if he isn't big on reading) and be with him wherever he goes.

~.~

"I'm going to talk to this Noah guy." Soul announces, "I'll offer to buy you, he'll accept and then you'll be free."

She bites her lip in thought, Liz had mentioned how some girls were bought by the customers, but never had this happened to a girl who belonged to Noah. But it's not like she has any other choice. Noah-sama hasn't even noticed that she abandoned her customers. Soul is her only hope.

She places her palm on top of his hand. "Thank you" she looks into his bloodred orbs, "for everything."

He gives her a lopsided grin in response.

~.~

It's later that night when Noah-sama calls her into his room. A part of her is excited-maybe he accepted Soul's proposal, maybe he's telling her she can finally walk out of this place. There's another part that isn't as optimistic-maybe Soul didn't even try talking to him, or that the men have complained so much about her lack of interest that now she is getting punished for it.

Her hand rests on the doorknob deciding whether or not she should go in, the door handle begins to turn, making the decsion for her.  
She spots Noah-sama through the widening crack as the door opens.

"Come on in, Maka-chan."

She nods and follows him, he sets himself down on the lone chair he has in his bedroom/office, and motions for her to do the same.  
She seats herself on the edge of his bed, her heart is racing as she tries to occupy herself with a loose thread from her skirt.

"You know, this strange boy came in here today, offering to buy you." Noah-sama says, he chuckles a bit, as if it's the funniest thing he's heard today.

"Is he going to?" She asks, she prays with all her heart that he will.

Noah-sama leans back into his chair, "I've refused his offer."

"But Noah-sama, wouldn't it be more profitable for you to sell me to him?" She suggests, isn't he always angry at her lack of profit? This should be a great opportunity for him.

"Yes it would, but you're forgetting one important detail." The smile on his face brings no good news. "You're a part of my collection."

She drops her eyes to her lap and nods. She is an item to him, one that holds little value, but is kept for reasons only known to him.

"Now that this boy is out of the way, let's discuss you lack of corporation with the customers."

The next morning she wakes with her body decorated in purple and blues.

~.~

Soul doesn't return after that day. She waits and waits but he never shows. The days turn into weeks, and the weeks into months with no sign of his existence. She goes back to how she was before he showed up in her life, before he filled her with hope and happiness. She is now the obedient whore the men are all familiar with.

~.~

A client has decided to request her services outside the brothel, this rarely happens to her, but it is an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the outside world so she accepts. Gopher accompanies her to the hotel, and drops her off right in front of her customer's door.

She enters the room expecting some old pedophile to start tearing her apart, but instead it's Soul. Her heart skips a beat at the sight of him. He hasn't changed, but seeing him right in front of her alive and well, brings tears to her eyes.

She runs up to him and wraps her arms around his neck, dripping tears into the crook of his neck, muttering _"imissedyous"_ and_ "ilovesyous"_. He places his hand on her back, mumbling "I know, I know." Eventually she lets go of him, taking a step or two back.

"Are you still interested in leaving?" He asks holding out his palm to her.

"Yes." She takes his hand in hers. He leads to her to the window sill, and picks himself up, and her. The room is only on the second floor, but butterflies still crowd her stomach at the sight of the fall.

His grip tightens, "Ready?"

She nods within seconds they are falling.

She is **free**.

* * *

**mindlesschatter:**

Your thoughts would be lovely.


End file.
